Towards a Universal Evaluation Model for Careful and Competent Autonomous Driving

TL;DR

This paper proposes a universal evaluation framework for autonomous driving that assesses careful and competent behavior, addressing current validation gaps and aligning with regulatory requirements for comprehensive safety and performance assessment.

Contribution

It introduces a unified, scenario-specific and aggregate evaluation model for autonomous driving, bridging behavioral assessment with regulatory compliance.

Findings

Framework unifies behavioral and regulatory evaluation

Applicable for scenario testing and post-deployment monitoring

Addresses validation gaps in current autonomous driving assessments

Abstract

Virtual scenario-based testing methods to validate autonomous driving systems are predominantly centred around collision avoidance, and lack a comprehensive approach to evaluate optimal driving behaviour holistically. Furthermore, current validation approaches do not align with authorisation and monitoring requirements put forth by regulatory bodies. We address these validation gaps by outlining a universal evaluation framework that: incorporates the notion of careful and competent driving, unifies behavioural competencies and evaluation criteria, and is amenable at a scenario-specific and aggregate behaviour level. This framework can be leveraged to evaluate optimal driving in scenario-based testing, and for post-deployment monitoring to ensure continual compliance with regulation and safety standards.